CSU system faces record demand as more students clamor for admittance

Among the steps taken at Cal State Northridge to accommodate its largest student population ever was to require enrollment in Friday or Saturday classes.

Among the steps taken at Cal State Northridge to accommodate its largest student population ever was to require enrollment in Friday or Saturday classes.

From new dorms to renovated labs, online courses to additional weekend classes, the Cal State University system is balancing record demand against limited space and funding.

After years of budget uncertainty that made enrollment growth a moving target, the CSU, teeming with 447,000 students on its 23 campuses, is asking for a 5 percent increase in state support, or $79.2 million, to boost enrollment by about 20,000 students during 2014-15.

The request comes on the heels of a record number of applications for the fall semester, with about 284,000 applying to at least one CSU campus.

"We've outgrown the recreation center, the Student Union and the library," said Juan Herrera, a 21-year-old political science major at Cal State San Bernardino who is also director of external affairs for Associated Students Inc.

The first week after spring break, Herrera was on campus, where students trekked to classes from the outer edges of the parking lots, having given up on finding a space and instead parking along back curbs.

"There's definitely a lot of different buildings that can be renovated, and we need to expand to stay with student demand," he said.

Planning for additional students has proved perilous in recent years, as the Great Recession rocked the state budget and left the CSU in limbo from year to year, with California legislators hacking away at funding to help balance the checkbook.

Enrollment at CSU was cut by 25,000 between fall 2008 and fall 2010, from 437,000 students to 412,000. The budget had been slashed by $580 million in 2009-10, and CSU was forced to reduce enrollment to match available funding.

"The budget volatility of the recession years played havoc with enrollment and admissions," CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said in an email.

The spring 2010 term was closed for new undergraduate admissions. But in 2011, CSU saw funding restored, and its 23 campuses accepted applications for spring admission. The following year, the budget was slashed by $750 million and the spring 2012 term was closed to new admissions, except for students with associate degrees.

CSU was able to grow enrollment, despite the spring application periods being closed, because students applied for deferred admission.

Rather than reacting to state budget volatility, CSU officials now are proactively looking to address enrollment demand, as Gov. Jerry Brown has laid out a $511-million, multiyear plan through 2016-17, including a proposed $142.2 million in increased funding for 2014-15, though that fell well short of a $237.6-million request by CSU trustees.

"We would still grow, it would just have to be at a smaller rate," Uhlenkamp said.

State legislators have finalized California's budget, and Brown has cautioned CSU officials that building safety and renovation should take priority over increasing enrollment and new construction.